Middle East

Al-Akhbar Journalist Killed in Airstrike in Southern Lebanon

This is Beirut 01:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A Lebanese journalist working for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar News was killed in an Israeli airstrike and another was wounded on Wednesday while they were working near the border with Israel, according to their employer and rescuers. The civil defence agency's press office said rescuers were "able to recover the body of martyred journalist ...

AnalysisBeyond Mediation: How Washington Is Recasting Lebanon–Israel Negotiations

Jeremy Brecher 22/04 21:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

United States Lebanon Israel Negotiations Trump

The U.S. is set to mediate a second round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials on Thursday as part of the first such series of direct negotiations between the two sides since 1993. These diplomatic engagements come nearly a year and a half after the previous Lebanon-Israel ceasefire framework. In November 2024 under the Biden ...

Iran Hangs Former Nuclear Employee on Spying Charges: NGOs

This is Beirut 22/04 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran hanged a man on Wednesday convicted of links to Israel's Mossad spy agency, the judiciary said, with two NGOs based outside the country saying he worked for the Iranian atomic energy organization. The execution of Mehdi Farid was the latest in a number of hangings of high-profile convicts in an accelerating trend that has alarmed rights ...

Iran Says Seized Two Ships Seeking to Cross Strait of Hormuz

This is Beirut 22/04 14:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday their naval forces had seized two container ships seeking to cross the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, despite US President Donald Trump announcing he was extending a ceasefire to allow more time for peace talks. UK-based maritime security monitors confirmed that three commercial vessels had reported ...

Israel President Says He Dreams of ‘Driving Straight to Beirut’

This is Beirut 22/04 14:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Wednesday he hopes Israelis will one day be able to travel freely to Beirut, speaking to foreign diplomats in Jerusalem ahead of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon. Speaking to a gathering that included envoys from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Herzog said Israel was “eager” to help shape a ...

Maritime Incidents Underscore Fragility of Trump-Extended Iran Ceasefire

This is Beirut 22/04 13:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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A series of maritime incidents occurred on Wednesday in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, at the heart of the standoff between United States and Iran, highlighting the fragility of the truce unilaterally extended by Donald Trump with Iran. Just hours after the U.S. president announced the extension of the ceasefire, which has been in ...

Israel FM Calls on Lebanon to 'Work Together' with Israel Against Hezbollah

This is Beirut 22/04 12:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israel's foreign minister on Wednesday urged Beirut to make joint efforts with Israel to counter Hezbollah on the eve of talks between the two countries set to resume in Washington. It will be the second preparatory meeting paving the way for direct negotiations. "Tomorrow the direct talks between Israel and Lebanon will resume in Washington, DC. ...

U.S. Reportedly Blocked $500m Cash Shipment to Iraq Over Pro-Iran Attacks

This is Beirut 22/04 12:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United States blocked a plane carrying nearly $500 million in banknotes from delivering the cash to Iraq, US media reported on Tuesday, piling pressure on Baghdad to fight Iran-backed militant groups. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has suspended cash shipments to Iraq and frozen funding for security programs following ...

NATO 'Will Always Defend' Turkey: Chief Says

This is Beirut 22/04 12:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday the alliance would do "what's necessary to defend" its members, including Turkey, after intercepting four missiles fired from Iran and heading into Turkish airspace over the past weeks. A member of the U.S.-led defense alliance, Turkey, which borders Iran, has been largely spared the sort of retaliation ...

Israeli Strike on Lebanon's Bekaa Kills One

This is Beirut 22/04 09:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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An Israeli strike on Lebanon's Bekaa region killed one person and wounded two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. "One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy drone at dawn on the outskirts of Al-Jabur in West ...

Trump Extends Iran Ceasefire While Maintaining Blockade

This is Beirut 21/04 23:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would hold off on new strikes against Iran at the request of Pakistani officials, effectively extending the ceasefire as diplomatic efforts continue. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the United States agreed to delay further attacks on Iran following a request from Pakistan’s ...

Exclusive Sarit Zehavi: We Need a Lasting Peace Agreement, Not Just Ceasefire

This is Beirut 21/04 18:45 - Reading : less than a minute

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In an exclusive interview with This Is Beirut, Sarit Zehavi, president of the Alma Research and Education Center, said Israel’s actions against Hezbollah are driven by security concerns. She emphasized the need to establish a peace agreement rather than repeated ceasefires, arguing that lasting stability depends on building Lebanese state ...